As the season has progressed, its become abundantly clear to Philadelphia 76ers fans that Amir Johnson isn’t capable of being Joel Embiid‘s backup anymore. Due to Johnson’s poor play, the Sixers have turned to Mike Muscala as its default backup center. While Muscala has filled the role admirably, it’s clear that if the 76ers are to obtain a NBA champion, he can’t be the primary backup center.
Within Philadelphia’s defensive scheme, Muscala is put at a disadvantage as the backup center. This isn’t to say Muscala is a poor defender, but he simply is no where close to being able to produce the same impact Embiid can.